First thing’s first. XM and Sirius are based on the same principle, each of them providing music, news, sports, etc. on their channels, but, every service has its ups and downs so we will try to discuss it in this present article. A careful analysis shows that XM Satellite Radio provides a total of 136 streams at the time of this writing, where two are premium channels (Playboy and High Voltage), twenty-one are traffic and weather based channels and nine are sport-dedicated ones. On the other hand, Sirius offers a total of 119 streams, the premium streams not being available. Let’s take a closer look now on two – music and news - of the categories that the two major satellites are battling.

Music streams comparison

The number of music streams that both services offer is pretty much the same: 65 on Sirius and 68 on XM Satellite Radio but the difference is not in the number, but in the music genres that the radios offer.

Music – Decades

XM is the absolute champion in providing the music by decades because you can listen to the 40’s music, service not available on Sirius. Still, you can listen to the 90’s hits together with the current hits on Sirius Satellite Radio, which is an interesting feature.

Music – Country

“Ride’ em cowboy!”. Even if you’re not a cowboy, you can listen to country-related songs on both Satellites. Classic country or country hits are to be heard as well as alternative country or country mixes, the last two features being available only on Sirius Satellite Radio. Regarding the number of streams that both Satellites offer, XM offers a total of five streams and Sirius offers four, the champion in this category being XM due to the quality and the quantity of music being played.

Music – Rock

If you are looking for sex, drogs, and rock and roll, Sirius and XM Satellite Radios can only offer you rock and roll, on a number of 14 streams on XM and 15 streams on Sirius. The rock subgenres are to be found in a large number on the stations, overall each service being very strong in this category.

Music - Dance and Latin

If you want to boogie, you can do that on both Satellites, listening to one of the six streams provided by Sirius or four streams provided by XM. Be careful though, because you can become a clubber maniac! And if you’re strong enough, the Latin pop stream, Mexicana and tropical music streams can really drive you crazy. XM Satellite Radio as well as Sirius Satellite Radio offer three streams.

Music – Other genres

Regarding other genres, both satellites really look up to their prestige, offering hours of hours of music, from Classical to Jazz, even Urban (Sirius feature). Both stations offer high quality tunes, making it worth all the money.

News Streams Comparison

Let’s skip to another interesting topic, news. CNN, FOX, CNBC, Bloomberg, MSNBC and many more news stations are being offered for listening in different languages. The number of streams is again near-by, XM offering a number of 11 news streams, not like Sirius, which offers 13.

Bottom line

It’s pretty hard to say which station is better, XM and Sirius being tied musically but in news and sports, Sirius holding the edge. To make a little joke, if you are a fan of Stern go with Sirius, if you like Q&A go XM. Anyway, it’s hard to say which one is better, but, what can I say is that both Satellites are worth paying for.

**Note that the specifics cited about the XM and Sirius programs are true to the best of our knowledge as of the writing of this article and may have been changed by the respective companies. If you choose to purchase service through Sirius or XM radio, please read all of the terms and conditions provided by the companies very carefully.

Subscription: There are two main satellite radio service providers in the United States, XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. Both of them charge a nominal amount of subscription from the listeners for their services. Nearly 100 channels are provided by each, of which the music channels constitute the largest segment. The other channels include news, talk shows, sports, weather, traffic and entertainment. The wide range of channels offered by them as compared to what is available on regular radio stations makes the subscription seem negligible.

Satellite Radio Receivers: There are various types of satellite radio receivers having different styles, shapes and output features. You can buy the one that suits your style, choice and pocket.

Special Features
Clear Reception: The quality of sound broadcast on a satellite radio is of the topmost category because it is transmitted directly from the satellite to your receiver without any interference. The crystal clear reception of a satellite radio makes it a pleasurable experience to listen to its broadcasts.

Uniform Countrywide Service: Unlike traditional radio services, which are available only in a limited geographical area, satellite radio uses the satellite to beam strong signals that can be picked up throughout the country. Besides being able to listen to the same channel wherever you might be in the country, you’ll find that most rural areas are also covered.

Satellite radio service providers: The two main service providers in the United States are XM Satellite radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. The subscriptions charged by them and the services provided are almost similar except for some special programs and as such you can choose any one you like. You will get a large choice of programs with each of them. When you register with either of the two, you’ll have to buy a new receiver so that you can listen to the programs. However, these receivers are not at all expensive and you can buy one for your home and the other for your car. Many new cars already have satellite radios fitted in them.

If you are interested in any type of music or in listening to news or other programs, a satellite radio is the perfect answer for a crystal clear reception.

**Note that the specifics cited about Sirius Satellite Radio are true to the best of our knowledge as of the writing of this article and may have since been changed by the Sirius company. If you choose to purchase service through Sirius radio or any other satellite radio provider, please read all of the terms and conditions provided by the company at the time of your purchase very carefully.

Advantages And Positive Features Of A Satellite Radio System

•Unlimited Choice: If you feel that variety is the spice of life and if you like listening to different types of music such as jazz, reggae, dance or rock you will be able to get innumerable choices over a satellite radio. Hundreds of stations are available, each giving forth a different type of music and you can choose the one you like. Apart from music you can also choose different sports stations depending upon the type of games that you like. The choices are truly unlimited.

•No Need To Change Stations: When you are traveling from one end of the United States to the other, you won’t need to change radio stations, as you had to do previously. Since the signals are received through a satellite, you can stay tuned to one station and enjoy uninterrupted music of your choice.

•Other Plus Points: You can see the names of the artists and the songs scrolling on the receiver when you are listening to music.

•No censorship: Each program category is different and you can tune into the station that you want to listen to and avoid the ones that you don’t like. As such, there is no satellite radio censorship and talk shows with free thinking views are encouraged.

•Sound Quality: Last but not least, the quality of the sound that is broadcast over a satellite radio is impeccably perfect, being static-free and having the capability of being broadcast over a distance exceeding 20,000 miles.

If you consider the complicated process responsible for broadcasting satellite radio programs, you will realize that what you have to pay is very little as compared to what you are getting. The three elements responsible for the broadcast are the satellite, ground repeaters and radio receivers. Moreover, there are digital broadcasting centers where the radio programs are produced and the excellent quality of sound that you hear is made possible because of the digital compression process. The decoding of this compression is possible only through a satellite radio.

Advancement of technology is an ongoing process, and satellite radio is the latest offering in the field of radio technology. Research is going on for further advancement, and you can expect to see many new innovations.

**Note that the specifics cited about Sirius Satellite Radio are true to the best of our knowledge as of the writing of this article and may have since been changed by the Sirius company. If you choose to purchase service through Sirius radio or any other satellite radio provider, please read all of the terms and conditions provided by the company at the time of your purchase very carefully.

The digital radio system of a satellite radio catches the signals from a satellite in space that offers the communication signals commercially. The providers of the satellite radio service are, therefore, compelled to offer their package of channels at a cost which is the subscription that any listener has to pay in order to get the services. In Europe, Africa and Asia, WorldSpace is the main satellite radio provider, whereas in North America the providers are XM Radio and Sirius Satellite Radios.

Subscription – Based Services
In view of the high cost of getting signals and tying up with a commercial satellite, the signals of the providers are non-compatible and proprietary and the consumers need special proprietary hardware if they wish to decode and playback the signals. The range of programs offered on a satellite radio is very large and it covers many areas such as music, weather, news and sports. The progress and popularity of satellite radios has been significant in most North American countries, notably the United States, but in highly populated countries the satellite radio services have still not caught on.

The signals of the communication satellite are caught by an antenna and as such the line of sight must not be disturbed by high-rise buildings and tunnels. Local repeaters are positioned strategically in order to get over this problem. These repeaters are also helpful in broadcasting local traffic and weather conditions.

Main Advantages Of A Satellite Radio System:

•The choice of music eras, styles and genres is immense and boundless
•You can get any type of program such as music, weather, news, entertainment talk shows and traffic news, at least some of it without any commercial interruptions
•You can get the satellite radio signal in your vehicle, yacht, RV, home, sauna or wherever you might be and enjoy crystal clear reception
•A complete list of programs and available channels is made available on the receiver as soon as you buy and install the equipment
•Local traffic and weather updates are provided regularly
•The sound quality and reception is crystal clear and flawless

Technology has evolved over the ages, and satellite radio is the latest culmination of man’s desire to harness technology to enjoy the best quality of radio service.

**Note that the specifics cited about Sirius Satellite Radio are true to the best of our knowledge as of the writing of this article and may have since been changed by the Sirius company. If you choose to purchase service through Sirius radio or any other satellite radio provider, please read all of the terms and conditions provided by the company at the time of your purchase very carefully.

Which Service Provider Should You Choose?
This is indeed a million-dollar question because both the providers have excellent programs to offer in different fields. However, each provider has some specific programs for its subscribers that the other does not have. Moreover, each provider has its own specialty regarding the type of satellite radio broadcast. There are many people who like certain programs and specialties of both the providers and find it difficult to choose a provider.

Interoperable Technology
In order to solve the above problem, both XM Radio and Sirius Radio have been investing in a lot of research work so that the satellite radio consumers can get both the services. A joint venture between the two providers by the name of Interoperable Technologies was started with the aim of offering a combination of the best programs of both providers to the consumers at a slightly extra cost. However, the development work of this project is still incomplete and as such the consumers are not able to enjoy its benefits.

Both the providers offer a large variety of music on many channels that you can enjoy in any part of the United States. Moreover, you can select access and enjoy music according to the theme that you want. You can find the sort of music that would suit your mood. A satellite radio in your vehicle is a great accessory that can be enjoyed whenever you are traveling in your vehicle, even if you are going to the local grocery store.

In order to compare the two satellite radio service providers the following figures might be helpful. XM Radio is the pioneer in this field and it has two satellites. It also has two satellite radio studios located in Washington, D.C. with a subscriber base of 3.2 million. On the other hand, Sirius has three satellites and radio studios in New York with a subscriber base of 1.1 million.

Since both the providers have excellent services and superb programs, it is very difficult to decide which one to choose. An effective way to make your choice is to talk to your friends and relatives who have satellite radio services. You might get some helpful tips from them. The bottom line is that it does not really matter because both are good.

You can look at a selection of products for both programs on this website. The services may be quite similar, but there is far more interest in Sirius Satellite Radios on eBay -- all the momentum seems to be going in that direction.

**Note that the specifics cited about Sirius Satellite Radio are true to the best of our knowledge as of the writing of this article and may have since been changed by the Sirius company. If you choose to purchase service through Sirius radio or any other satellite radio provider, please read all of the terms and conditions provided by the company at the time of your purchase very carefully.

Satellite radio uses satellites to deliver radio programs to subscribers. The radio signal is broadcasted from Earth based stations to communicational satellites, which then redirect the signal to satellite radio receivers. The radio signal is broadcasted by communication satellites to a much larger area than traditional terrestrial radio antennas. For example, satellite radio is available all across the continental area of the United States. Satellite radio is available now in most parts of the world through services provided by companies like WorldSpace (in Europe, Asia and Africa), Sirius and XM Radio (in North America). The radio signal you receive using satellite radio is digital, which means that it is always clear and static-free, which is one of the great advantages of satellite radio. Another great thing about satellite radio is that at least some of its programming is commercial-free.

To begin listening to satellite radio you will need the actual satellite radio (also known as tuner or receiver), a satellite radio antenna (which is often incorporated in the satellite radio) and a subscription to the service you choose. There are several types of satellite radios from which you can choose. One of them is the dedicated car or home radio, which plays through your car or home stereo. A second option is the plug-and-play radio, which can be used in your car, as well as in your home by paying a single subscription.

Your third option is the portable radio, which has rechargeable battery, a built-in antenna and you can listen to it wherever you go using headphones. The radio signals offered by different satellite radio companies are proprietary, which means that you will need different hardware for receiving, decoding and playback, depending on your subscription. Each satellite radio receiver has its own serial number, called Radio ID. When you get your subscription, you will also get an activation code for your receiver. Besides the actual radio programs, satellite radio transmits metadata that contains the name of the artist, the title of the song or program, as well as the name of the channel. This makes it easier for you to decide which channel to listen to and which program to choose.

Satellite radio services provide the subscriber with more than 100 programs that vary in content from rock and jazz to rap and classical music. But satellite radio’s utility reaches far beyond listening to your favorite music without the interruption of those annoying commercials. Satellite radio also offers exclusive sports programs, cultural and educational shows, news and talk-shows. Some of the celebrities that have moved their shows from free radio to satellite radio include Howard Stern, Opie and Anthony, Bob Edwards and Martha Stewart. Unlike terrestrial radio, satellite radio is not affected by bad weather or even calamities.

At first, many people wondered why they should pay for radio if they can get it free. However, satellite radio attracts more and more people every year due to its great advantages: commercial free music, extensive reach, theme programs and exceptional quality of sound.

**Note that the specifics cited about Satellite Radio programs are true to the best of our knowledge as of the writing of this article and may have since been changed by the satellite radio company. If you choose to purchase service through Sirius radio or any other satellite radio provider, please read all of the terms and conditions provided by the company at the time of your purchase very carefully.